1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image edit apparatus capable of applying edit commands stored in a logic RAM to an original document by writing area data into a plane memory by a graphic controller, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An image processing apparatus, for example, a digital color copying machine, generally includes an image read unit for reading an image on an original an document by scanning the original, image data processing unit for processing/editing read image data, a record unit for recording processed/edited image data, and a control unit for controlling the image reading, processing, editing, and recording operations. The image processing unit edits image data in various ways. Examples of edit function techniques are proposed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publications Sho-62-181570 and Hei-2-224569, for example.
The outline of a digital color copying machine with edit functions will be described with reference to Japanese Patent Publication Hei-2-224569.
FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic view showing the construction of the digital color copying machine with a film image reader.
In the color copying machine, a base machine 30 is made up of a platen glass 31 on which an original document is placed, an image input terminal (IIT) 32, an electric-control-board container 33, an image output terminal (IOT) 34, a paper tray 35, and a user interface (U/I) 36. The color copying machine is optionally provided with an edit pad 61, an automatic document feeder (ADF) 62, a sorter 63, and a film image reader having a filter projector (F/P) 64 and a mirror unit (M/U) 65.
The IIT 32 includes an imaging unit 37, a wire 38 for driving the imaging unit, drive pulleys 39, and the like. In the IIT 32, a color image on a color original document is separated into three primary colors B (blue), G (green), and R (red) by means of filters within the imaging unit 37, and is read by a CCD line sensor. The image data thus obtained is converted into multi-tone digital image signals B, G and R, and output to an image processing system. The image processing system, contained in the electric-control-board container 33, receives the B, G and R image signals, applies various types of conversion and correction processings to those image signals to improve image quality, such as color, tone and definition, and reproduction performances, and performs additional edit processings on the color image data. Further, the image processing system converts the image colors into the toner primary colors Y (yellow), M (magenta), C (cyan), and K (black), converts tone toner signals of the process colors into on/off or binary-coded signals, and outputs those converted signals to the image output terminal 34. In the IOT 34 including a scanner 40, and a photoreceptor belt 41, the image signals are converted into optical image signals by a laser output unit 40a. The optical image signals are imaged, in the form of a latent electrostatic image corresponding to the original color image, on the photoreceptor belt 41 through the combination of a polygonal mirror 40b, an F/.theta. lens 40c, and a reflection mirror 40d. The thus formed color image is transferred onto a paper supplied from the paper tray 35, and is output in the form of a color copy.
In the IOT 34, the photoreceptor belt 41, driven by a drive pulley 41a, is provided. A cleaner 41b, a charger 41c, Y, M, C and K developing units 41d, and a transfer unit 41e are disposed around the photoreceptor belt 41. A transfer device 42 is further provided in connection with the transfer unit 41e. The transfer device 42 which nips a recording paper supplied through a paper transfer path 35a from the paper tray 35, is rotated four times in the case of 4-color full copy to transfer Y, M, C and K latent images on the paper. The paper bearing the four latent images is forwarded from the transfer device 42 through a vacuum transfer unit 43 to a fusing unit 45. After the latent images of Y, M, C and K are fused and fixed on the recording paper, the paper is discharged. An SSI (single sheet inserter) 35b allows a user to manually and selectively supply recording paper into the paper transfer path 35a.
The U/I (user interface) 36 allows the user to select desired functions and to instruct the conditions to execute the functions. The U/I 36 is provided with a color display 51 and a hard control panel 52. Additional use of an infrared touch board 53 enables the user to directly enter instructions with touch buttons on the screen.
The electric-control-board container 33 contains a plurality of control boards for the IIT 32, IOT 34, U/I 36, image processing system (IPS), film projector 64, and the like, an MCB board (machine control board) for controlling the operations of the IOT 34, ADF 62, sorter 63, and the like, and an SYS board for controlling all those units.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing the arrangement of the image data processing system of the prior color digital copying machine. In the figure, an IIT 100 separates a color document image into three primary colors B, G, and R, and reads the color document image by using a CCD sensor. An IOT 115 reproduces a color image through the exposure process by the laser beam and the development processes. The components ranging from an END conversion circuit 101 to an IOT interface 110, which are located between the IIT 100 and the IOT 115, make up an image data edit processing system (image processing system (IPS)). In the IPS, color image data of B, G, and R are converted into image data of process toner colors Y, M, and C, and further K. Every developing cycle, the toner signal corresponding to that developing color is output.
In the IIT, the CCD sensor reads the document images of B, G and R with the size of 16 dots/mm for each pixel, and outputs the read image data as 24 bits (three colors.times.8 bits; 256 tones). The CCD sensor of 300 mm long and 16 dots/mm in density and having B, G and R filters attached to the upper surface thereof, performs a scan of 16 lines/mm at the process speed of 190.5 mm/sec. The sensor produces the image data at the speed of approximately 15M pixels per second for each color. The IIT 100 logarithmically-converts the analog data of B, G and R pixels, thereby transforming the reflectivity information into the density information, and converting it into digital data.
The IPS is made up of an END (equivalent neutral density) module 101, color masking module 102, document size detect module 103, color change module 104, UCR (under-color removal) & black generation module 105, spatial filter 106, TRC (tone reproduction control) module 107, enlargement/reduction module 108, and a screen generator 109. The IPS receives the color separated signals B, G and R from the IIT 100, and processes the received image data in various ways for improving the reproduction performances of color, tone, definition, and the like. The IPS converts the coloring material signals of the developing process colors into on/off signals, and transfers the converted signals to the IOT.
The END Module 101 adjusts (converts) the color image signals to gray-balanced color image signals.
The color masking module 102 converts the B, G and R signals into signals corresponding to the toner quantities of Y, M and C, through a matrix operation.
The document-size detecting module 103 detects the document size in a prescan mode, and erases (makes a frame-erasure) the platen color in a read scan mode.
The color change module 104 makes the change of a specified color in a specific area according to an area signal supplied from the area image control module.
The UCR & black generation module 105 generates a proper quantity of black K so as not to lose the color purity, subtracts the equal quantities of the process colors Y, M and C therefrom according to the quantity of black K, and gates the signals after the under-colors of the K, and Y, M and C are removed, according to the signals in a mono-color mode and a 4-full-color mode.
The spatial filter 106 is a nonlinear digital filter having the function of restoring the image from being blurred, and the function of removing moire from the image.
The TRC module 107 makes density, contrast, and color balance adjustments, and performs a negative/positive inversion and other processings for reproduction improvements. The enlargement/reduction module 108 is provided for enlarging and reducing the size of an image in the horizontal scan direction. Incidentally, the size adjustment in the vertical scan direction is performed by adjusting the speed of scanning the original.
The screen generator 109 converts tonal toner signals of the process colors into on/off or binary-coded signals. The binary-coded process color signals are output to the IOT 115, through an IOT interface module 110.
The area image control module 111 includes an area generator and a switch matrix. The area-image control module 111 is arranged so as to set seven rectangular areas and the priority order of the areas in an area generating circuit. In connection with the respective areas, control data for the areas is set in a switch matrix. The control data includes, for example, the color mode data of color change, color mode of mono-color or full-color, and modulation select for photograph, character or the like, and select data for TRC and screen generator, and is used for controlling the color masking module 102, color change module 104, UCR module 105, spatial filter 106, and TRC module 107. The switch matrix can be set by a software.
An edit control module includes a plane memory 112, a color palette video switch circuit 113, font buffer 114, and the like, and controls various types of edit functions. With the edit control module, painting processing can be performed in a manner that it reads a document image, such as a circle graph, not a rectangular, and paints out, with a specified color, a specified area indefinite in shape. 4-bit area commands are stored in a plane memory 112 consisting of four plane. An edit command at each point on the document is set with 4 bits of the 4-plane memory.
In the conventional image edit apparatus, in the image edit processing using the area data, the plane memory must be increased with an increase of the number of areas. Also in the apparatus, a data delay inevitably occurs through such a process that the area data is read out of the plane memory and is format-converted to generate area commands, and an edit command is read out of the logic RAM using the area command as an address. When an edit command is output, the edit command of 100 spi (spot per inch) must be adapted for the image data of 400 spi. To this end, for the vertical scan direction, the data on the same lines in the plane memory is read four times repeatedly. In the repetitive read process, the plane-to-pixel format conversion is performed. This also causes a data delay. (64+.alpha.) clocks are taken for the enlargement operation by the density conversion/area generating circuit REL. Accordingly, when the data is transferred to the circuit REL in synchronism with the line sync signal, the data is displaced by the quantity ((64+.alpha.) clocks) of delay within the circuit REL in the stage subsequent to the circuit REL. In the pipe-line processing of the image data, it is frequently required to apply edit commands to processing blocks preceding to the block (REL), in order to generate the edit commands.